U.S. patent application number 13/392699 was filed with the patent office on 2012-07-12 for soundproofing device for the passenger compartment of a vehicle, in particular of an automobile.
This patent application is currently assigned to PEUGEOT CITROEN AUTOMIBILES S.A.. Invention is credited to Olivier Chary, Laurent Mougnard, Stephan Philip, Frederic Rousseau.
Application Number | 20120175185 13/392699 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42047211 |
Filed Date | 2012-07-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120175185 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Rousseau; Frederic ; et
al. |
July 12, 2012 |
Soundproofing Device for the Passenger Compartment of a Vehicle, in
Particular of an Automobile
Abstract
The invention relates to a soundproofing device for the
passenger compartment of a vehicle (10), to be positioned between a
sheet metal panel of the vehicle bodywork (12) and an inner
trimming panel (14). The device comprises a polymer foam plate (20)
impregnated with a mixture of an inorganic filler and an organic
binder, the foam plate (20) being shaped so as to be in close
contact with the sheet metal panel of the bodywork (12) and with
the inner trimming panel (14). The invention further relates to an
inner trimming System for the passenger compartment of a vehicle,
comprising an inner trimming panel (14) for covering a sheet metal
panel of the vehicle bodywork (12) and such a device. The invention
further relates to a vehicle provided with such a System. The
invention can be used in automobiles.
Inventors: |
Rousseau; Frederic;
(Ponthevrard, FR) ; Philip; Stephan; (Gif Sur
Yvette, FR) ; Mougnard; Laurent; (Saint Sulpice Sur
Risle, FR) ; Chary; Olivier; (Bernay, FR) |
Assignee: |
PEUGEOT CITROEN AUTOMIBILES
S.A.
Velizy Villacoublay
FR
|
Family ID: |
42047211 |
Appl. No.: |
13/392699 |
Filed: |
August 30, 2010 |
PCT Filed: |
August 30, 2010 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/FR10/51797 |
371 Date: |
March 26, 2012 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
181/290 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60R 13/0212 20130101;
B60R 13/0815 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
181/290 |
International
Class: |
E04B 1/82 20060101
E04B001/82 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Aug 31, 2009 |
FR |
0955928 |
Claims
1. A soundproofing device for a passenger compartment of a vehicle,
intended to be placed between a sheet metal panel of a body of the
vehicle and an interior trim panel of the vehicle, the
soundproofing device comprising a foam pad made of a polymer
impregnated with a mixture of inorganic filler and organic binder;
the foam pad being shaped in such a manner as to make intimate
contact with the sheet metal body panel and the interior trim panel
of the vehicle.
2. The soundproofing device according to the claim 1, wherein the
polymer of the foam pad is polyurethane.
3. The soundproofing device according to claim 1, wherein the
organic binder of the mixture is acrylic based.
4. The soundproofing device according to claim 1, wherein the
inorganic filler comprises aluminum silicate.
5. The soundproofing device according to the claim 4, wherein the
inorganic filler is chalk.
6. The soundproofing device according to claim 1, wherein the
mixture comprises 50% by weight inorganic filler and 50% by weight
organic binder.
7. The soundproofing device according to claim 1, wherein the
mixture comprises 60% by weight inorganic filler and 40% by weight
organic binder.
8. The soundproofing device according to claim 1, wherein the foam
pad has a density of approximately 18 kg/m.sup.3.
9. The soundproofing device according to claim 1, wherein the foam
pad has a thickness of between 5 mm and 15 mm.
10. An interior trim system for a passenger compartment of a
vehicle; the vehicle comprising an interior trim panel that covers
a sheet metal body panel; wherein the interior trim system
comprises a soundproofing device according to claim 1 in which the
foam pad is intimately connected with a top surface of the interior
trim panel in such manner that the foam pad can be placed between
the interior trim panel and the sheet metal body panel, while being
intimately in contact with the sheet metal body panel.
11. The interior trim system according to the claim 10, wherein the
foam pad is affixed to the interior trim panel.
12. A vehicle, comprising a passenger compartment having a roof
provided with a sheet metal panel and an interior trim panel,
wherein the vehicle further includes the soundproofing device claim
1 and wherein the foam pad is placed between the sheet metal roof
panel and the interior trim panel, while being in contact with at
least one specific area of the sheet metal roof panel and with at
least one specific area of the interior trim panel.
13. The vehicle according to the claim 12, wherein the foam pad is
preloaded between the specific areas of the sheet metal roof panel
and the interior trim panel of the roof.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is the US National stage, under 35 U.S.C.
.sctn.371, of International App. No. PCT/FR2010/051797 which was
filed on Aug. 30, 2010 and claims priority to French Application
No. 0955928 which was filed on Aug. 31, 2009.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a soundproofing device for
the passenger compartment of a vehicle, in particular an
automobile.
[0003] More particularly, the invention relates to a device
intended to be placed between a sheet metal panel of the vehicle
body and an interior trim panel.
[0004] This type of known device, intended for the roof of a
vehicle, is a tar plate which is glued to the sheet metal roof
panel. Such tar plates, which are glued to an area of the sheet
metal panel, make the roof stiffer, and has as disadvantages: cost,
significant mass, glue which can be harmful to the health of the
operators gluing the plate in the vehicle assembly plant, and a
gluing method which is often constraining. The constraints tainting
the gluing process result from the fact that the gluing is done
inside the vehicle, which on the one hand may require the operators
to work with raised arms, even blind, or on the other hand requires
the use of expensive robots.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0005] The specific goal of the present invention is to remedy the
disadvantages of the prior art.
[0006] To this end, a soundproofing device is provided for the
passenger compartment of a vehicle, in particular an automobile,
which is intended to be placed between a sheet metal panel of the
vehicle body and an interior trim panel. The soundproofing device
comprises a polymer foam pad impregnated with a mixture of
inorganic filler and organic binder. The foam pad is shaped in such
manner as to make intimate contact with the sheet metal body panel
and the interior trim panel.
[0007] In addition, in various embodiments, the soundproofing
device can have one or more of the following provisions: [0008] the
polymer of the foam pad is polyurethane; [0009] the organic binder
of the mixture is acrylic based; [0010] the inorganic filler
comprises aluminum silicate; [0011] the inorganic filler is chalk;
[0012] the mixture is 50% by weight inorganic filler and 50% by
weight organic binder mass or 60% by weight inorganic filler and
40% by weight organic binder; [0013] the density of the foam pad is
approximately 18 kg/m3; [0014] the thickness of the foam pad is
between 5 mm and 15 mm.
[0015] Also disclosed is an interior trim system for the passenger
compartment of a vehicle, in particular an automobile, comprising
an interior trim panel used to cover a sheet metal panel of the
vehicle body. The system comprises a soundproofing device in which
the foam pad is intimately connected with the upper surface of the
interior trim panel in such a manner that the foam pad can be
placed between the interior trim panel and the sheet metal body
panel, and in intimate contact with body panel.
[0016] In one embodiment of this system, the foam pad is glued to
the interior trim panel.
[0017] In accordance with another aspect of the systems, a vehicle,
in particular an automobile, comprises a body with a roof having a
sheet metal panel and a passenger compartment in which an interior
trim panel for the roof is installed. In the vehicle, the interior
trim panel is a panel of the system in which the soundproofing
device is comprised of a foam pad and which is placed between the
sheet metal roof panel and the interior trim panel of the roof. The
foam pad is in contact with at least one specific area of the sheet
metal roof panel and with at least one specific area of the
interior trim panel of the roof.
[0018] In this vehicle, the foam is preloaded between the specific
areas of the sheet metal roof panel and the interior trim panel of
the roof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] Other goals, characteristics and advantages of the system
will become clear in view of the following description of one of
the embodiments, which given as a non-limiting example, with
reference to the attached drawings in which:
[0020] FIG. 1 is a schematic view in perspective of a vehicle
equipped with a soundproofing device;
[0021] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a cross-section taken along
line II-II of FIG. 1;
[0022] FIGS. 3 and 4 are views schematically showing a sheet metal
plate of a vehicle roof at rest and when vibrating,
respectively;
[0023] FIG. 5 is a schematic view in perspective showing the
working principle of the soundproofing device when vibrating;
[0024] In the different figures, the same references designate
identical or similar elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0025] In the following description, the X direction is the
longitudinal direction corresponding with the movement axis of the
vehicle, the Y direction is the transverse direction, the Z
direction is vertical, according to a standard orthogonal
reference.
[0026] Relative to the figures, reference 10 designates a vehicle,
the body of which is provided in a traditional manner with a roof
comprising a sheet metal panel 12 which is generally horizontal. As
is known, the sheet metal roof panel 12 extends transversally
between longitudinal rails and longitudinally between a front upper
cross beam and a rear upper cross beam. The panel 12 is supported
by the rails, the beams and an intermediate cross beam,
approximately midway between the front and rear cross beams. The
cross beams and rails of the body structure are not shown in the
figures.
[0027] The vehicle comprises an interior trim panel 14 which covers
the roof of the passenger compartment in order to hide the sheet
metal roof panel 12 from the view of the occupants of the
compartment. The interior trim panel 14 is mounted in a traditional
manner to the structure of the vehicle body.
[0028] Vehicle 10 comprises two soundproofing devices 20, placed
between the sheet metal body panel 12 and the interior trim panel
14. The soundproofing devices 20 are placed in areas which are
likely to move when they are subjected to vibrational excitation or
mechanical excitation, for instance, when the vehicle is washed or
during paint work.
[0029] Each of the soundproofing devices 20 is a foam pad with
acoustic properties. The pad is substantially flat and in contact
with the sheet metal body panel 12 and the interior trim panel 14.
The flat contact allows for sufficiently intimate contact in order
to transmit vibrations or forces between the foam pad and the
panels.
[0030] The thickness of the foam pad varies between 5 mm and 15 mm
according to the vehicle model to be acoustically treated.
Preferably, the thickness of the foam pad is within a thickness
range of 5 mm to 8 mm. In the embodiment shown, the thickness of
the foam pad is 5 mm.
[0031] The soundproofing foam pad is comprised of a polymer core,
which is homogenously impregnated with a mixture containing an
inorganic filler and an organic binder.
[0032] The organic binder is acrylic, and specifically
polyacrylonitrile.
[0033] The core polymer is polyurethane in the form of low density
foam, for example, with density approximately equal to 18
kg/m.sup.3, or a density between 14 kg/m.sup.3 and 22 kg/m.sup.3.
During the impregnation of the foam core with the mixture, for
example by dunking it in a bath with the mixture, the mixture more
or less fills the pores of the foam, and the organic binder ensures
the cohesion of the inorganic filler with the foam core.
[0034] The acrylic base and the inorganic filler represent,
respectively, forty and sixty percent of the mixture by weight,
which in turn represents eighty percent of the volume or eighty
percent of the final product by weight. The polyurethane foam,
constituting the core of the foam pad, represents twenty percent of
the final product. In a variant, the mixture consists of fifty
percent inorganic filler by weight and fifty percent organic binder
by weight.
[0035] In the described embodiment, representing an implementation
example which has given good results in soundproofing tests with
various vehicles, the inorganic filler is chalk, in other words
mainly limestone, CaCO.sub.3, and aluminum silicate, normally
called clay. In another implementation example, the inorganic
filler is clay.
[0036] After impregnation with the mixture, the soundproofing foam
pad is viscoelastic and feels sticky to the touch, but is not
adhesive. Thus, the pad needs to be glued in order to be mounted in
the vehicle between the sheet metal body panel 12 and the interior
trim panel 14. The foam pad is glued against the top face of the
interior trim panel 14, before the interior trim panel 14 is
assembled in the passenger compartment of the vehicle. The gluing
takes place in the automobile assembly plant or in the plant of the
original equipment manufacturer supplying the interior trim panel
to the automobile manufacturer.
[0037] Each of these soundproofing foam pads 20 is glued in a
specific area of the interior trim roof panel, opposite a specific
area of the roof which needs to be treated acoustically, the areas
varying depending on the model of the vehicle to be acoustically
treated.
[0038] In the implementation mode shown in FIG. 1, the foam pads 20
have a rectangular shape. A first foam pad 20, with dimensions
400.times.100 mm, is placed midway between the front upper cross
beam and the middle cross beam of the roof. A second foam pad 20,
with dimensions 400.times.400 mm, is placed between the rear upper
cross beam and the middle cross beam of the roof. In a variant,
other forms, other dimensions, and other locations of the
soundproofing foam pad, or several soundproofing foam pads, can be
provided.
[0039] The interior trim panel 14 equipped with its soundproofing
foam pad 20 constitutes an interior trim system which is mounted in
the passenger compartment of the vehicle in such manner that the
soundproofing foam pad 20 is preloaded, by compressing it, for
example, 2 mm between the sheet metal body panel 12 and the
interior trim panel 14.
[0040] The working principle of the soundproofing device and of the
interior trim system is illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 5.
[0041] In FIG. 3, the sheet metal roof panel 12 is shown at rest
and in FIG. 4 it is shown while vibrating. The panel 12 is shown
with its central part between the rails and the cross beams of the
body structure deformed in undulating manner.
[0042] The invention reduces the deformation of the sheet metal
roof panel 12 when it vibrates, in order to reduce the acoustic
emissions of the panel.
[0043] The soundproofing foam pad 20 which is preloaded between the
sheet metal body panel 12 and the interior trim panel 14. It works
like a plurality of small jacks, which in essence absorb the
vibrations of the sheet metal body panel 12. FIG. 5 illustrates, in
a didactic manner, the working principle of the foam pad 20,
showing the function of its components, knowing that the foam pad
20 is overall macroscopically homogenous and is not layered.
[0044] In the soundproofing foam pad 20, the polyurethane foam core
behaves like springs 20C which provide the preload, and give
rigidity to the soundproofing device. Represented as shock
absorbers 20A in FIG. 5, the acrylic base of the impregnation
mixture has a binding effect which holds the impregnated inorganic
filler and dissipates energy by transforming through friction the
mechanical energy of the vibrations into heat. Represented in the
form of a layer 20B in FIG. 5, the impregnated inorganic filler has
a mass effect which provides inertia to the soundproofing device
and dissipates energy by transforming through friction the
mechanical energy of the vibrations into heat.
[0045] Advantageously, the aforementioned interior trim system
provides in an economical and effective manner: [0046] a reduction
of the buzz noise of the roof due to driving noise such as
percussion of the wheels against the pavement or vibrations of the
powertrain group transmitted to the frame and the body of the
vehicle, [0047] noise absorption such as rain noise on the sheet
metal, and [0048] improvement of the roof indentation which has a
stiffening effect on the roof and eliminates, for example, roof
deformation when it is cleaned by forceful application of a sponge
or during piercing prior to sheet metal repair and painting.
[0049] Advantageously, the system is more economical, lighter and
more favorable in work station ergonomics and in fabrication time
than the solutions which are normally used for soundproofing of the
roof of automotive vehicles, namely tar plates glued against the
sheet metal of the body, sheet metal type stiffeners, glued
paperboard, and interior trim panels glued with adhesives posing
health problems and installation difficulties.
* * * * *